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Steve Blackmore »
Aswan
Posted on 9:34am Tuesday 21st October 2008
So, here we are at Aswan, 7000km from home and two ferry rides. Sudan is 200km south and a lake separates us. Strangely, it would currently be cheaper for us to return to England than to get in to Sudan. For this we have the Nile Navigation Company to thank. I believe they are owned by a relative of the president and they have the monopoly on border crossings.
Jenni Stevenson »
Idiote Savon
Posted on 9:20am Tuesday 21st October 2008
All I really know about Marseille is that they make soap there, and that a friend who once visited it described it as 'the arse of the world'. Which perhaps explains why they make soap there.
Steve Blackmore »
Luxor and Aswan 17/18 Oct
Posted on 9:31am Tuesday 21st October 2008
According to the book of the dead and in a similar vein to many other religions, when someone passes on, Anubis the Jackal weighs their heart to decide if they go to the promised land or to hell. We too appear to be approaching our Judgement Day. In our case, the Jackal is called Mr Saleh and he works for the Nile Navigation Company in Aswan.
Steve Blackmore »
Cairo to Luxor 16/17 Oct
Posted on 9:29am Tuesday 21st October 2008
With Adam deciding to depart as well in the morning to return with the others, I had lost all interest in my surroundings. There I was, at the Pyramids, but my mind was elsewhere. My mind was in turmoil, others were also unfussed if the trip ended here and now. I had lost my will to fight after a gruelling, emotional few days. I just wanted to quit. It has been incredibly hard work to get us this far and the really hard bits are still ahead of us. On top of this I've lost the 3 others who know most about the route.
Steve Blackmore »
Red Sea chill out
Posted on 9:23am Wednesday 15th October 2008
In 1999 I came backpacking to a place called Tarabien on the Red Sea. As I came down the coast from Eilat, I thought that the place had some potential as a big tourist destination. It seems others with more money to invest and building knowledge had had similar ideas. This area will be like Marbella soon.
Jenni Stevenson »
Mad dogs and English women or ice cream , ice cream and more ice cream
Posted on 4:28pm Monday 13th October 2008
Big excitement on the campsite. The 'market' otherwise known as the shop is open. Old grumpy knickers isn't there, it must be her 'top up your flaming red hair dye day'. Contrary to the name which conjures up an image of fresh flowers, floury loaves of bread and sweet smelling papaya fruit, the shop is like a museum of things they had for sale left over after the war ... with free dust and an historical sell by date. I buy a rusting tube of toothpaste and a bar of carbolic soap. I know it's for washing something, bodies, dishes, clothes, but I'm not sure which.
Steve Blackmore »
The King's Highway
Posted on 9:22am Wednesday 15th October 2008
Do you know what is so great about Aqaba ferry terminal ? Nothing. Its a huge, noisy concrete monstrosity with bright lights, big lorries moving 24 hours a day and a horrendous PA system. So here I am, lying in my tent next to some roadworks, deep in the heart of Aqaba ferry terminal car park enjoying the space and blog writing. Its been yet another long hard day.
Allan & Rose Davies »
Es siempre bueno volver en casa!
Posted on 9:12am Monday 13th October 2008
And what a week that was! First of all, a big thank you goes to my friend and web feature editor Alan Lambert at the Dorset Echo offices on the Granby Estate for the personal tour he gave me during my brief visit to Blighty last week. It was certainly an eye opener as to the inner workings of a landmark whose only aspect I had previously noticed was that of a great huge grey building!
Steve Blackmore »
Past half way
Posted on 9:20am Wednesday 15th October 2008
Distance wise that is. The Turkey/Syria border is approximately 4400km from both Weymouth and Addis.
Steve Blackmore »
One bad turn ...
Posted on 9:12am Wednesday 15th October 2008
Sometimes you come to a fork in the path and have to make a decision. Sometimes its the right one, sometimes not. We are currently still ploughing up and down some horrific mountains on our poor, hard working bus now instead of wandering around Petra.
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